DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5504#0080
168 Travels in Greece, Turkey, and the Holy Land,
THE HISTORY OF ISMAYL AND MARYAM.
In the continual quarrels which subsisted between the Arabs
of the Desert and the Motsallam of Jerusalem, the people of
the latter surprised and made prisoner, near the valley of
Beqaa, a young cheykh who had already distinguished himself
by his valorous achievements. He was named Ismayl, the son
of Ahmed, the son of Bahir: his father was chief of the tribe of
Ouahydyeh, one of the most considerable of Barr el-Cham.*
Ismayl defended himself with the courage of the lions he had so
often attacked in the sands of Maan and Karac. Being des-
perately wounded, it was not without great difficulty that he
was transported to Jerusalem, where be was lodged, with his
head resting on a column, in the court of the Governor's
Palace. The paleness of death overspread his sunburnt visage,
without changing the masculine and dignified beauty of his
features: his stiff and chilled limbs, however, seemed to an-
nounce that he who was the rampart of the Desert, and the
terror of Syria, would soon yield up the ghost. But his blood
still flowed; and what pity denied, was inspired by a sordid
interest. The motsallam, expecting a considerable ransom for
the only son of the cheykh of the Ouahydyeh, ordered the
drogoman of the convent of the Holy Land, who had the repu-
tation of a skilful physician, to be called. " Hakim," t said he
to him, " seeing that thou hast received from heaven the gift
<e of curing men, and that my people see in thee a second
" Averroes, I will confide to thee this prisoner, if thou thinkest
" that thou canst save his life : let him be conveyed to thy
** dwelling. Swear that thou wilt bring this slave into my pre-
" sence on the twentieth day of the moon of schowal: if thou
u failest, if he escape thy vigilance, the treason be on thy head.
" The half of his ransom shall be the reward of this service."
The drogoman bowed his head, examined the wounds of the
young cheykh, and, after laying his hand successively on his
breast, on his beard, and on his forehead, said, " My Lord, what
" thou hast commanded shall be done : deliver up to me this
" slave, and I will endeavour to restore him to thee worth
" all the ransom which thy justice has a right to expect."
The expiring youth was conveyed to the house of the drogo-
man, who was named Youhanna ebn-Temyn. The fire of cha-
rity warmed the breast of this Christian man : he dwelt near the
gate of St. Stephen, on the via dolorosa, J and the garden of his
* Syria. f Doctor. Physician.
J The road by which our Saviour was lea to crucifixion.
THE HISTORY OF ISMAYL AND MARYAM.
In the continual quarrels which subsisted between the Arabs
of the Desert and the Motsallam of Jerusalem, the people of
the latter surprised and made prisoner, near the valley of
Beqaa, a young cheykh who had already distinguished himself
by his valorous achievements. He was named Ismayl, the son
of Ahmed, the son of Bahir: his father was chief of the tribe of
Ouahydyeh, one of the most considerable of Barr el-Cham.*
Ismayl defended himself with the courage of the lions he had so
often attacked in the sands of Maan and Karac. Being des-
perately wounded, it was not without great difficulty that he
was transported to Jerusalem, where be was lodged, with his
head resting on a column, in the court of the Governor's
Palace. The paleness of death overspread his sunburnt visage,
without changing the masculine and dignified beauty of his
features: his stiff and chilled limbs, however, seemed to an-
nounce that he who was the rampart of the Desert, and the
terror of Syria, would soon yield up the ghost. But his blood
still flowed; and what pity denied, was inspired by a sordid
interest. The motsallam, expecting a considerable ransom for
the only son of the cheykh of the Ouahydyeh, ordered the
drogoman of the convent of the Holy Land, who had the repu-
tation of a skilful physician, to be called. " Hakim," t said he
to him, " seeing that thou hast received from heaven the gift
<e of curing men, and that my people see in thee a second
" Averroes, I will confide to thee this prisoner, if thou thinkest
" that thou canst save his life : let him be conveyed to thy
** dwelling. Swear that thou wilt bring this slave into my pre-
" sence on the twentieth day of the moon of schowal: if thou
u failest, if he escape thy vigilance, the treason be on thy head.
" The half of his ransom shall be the reward of this service."
The drogoman bowed his head, examined the wounds of the
young cheykh, and, after laying his hand successively on his
breast, on his beard, and on his forehead, said, " My Lord, what
" thou hast commanded shall be done : deliver up to me this
" slave, and I will endeavour to restore him to thee worth
" all the ransom which thy justice has a right to expect."
The expiring youth was conveyed to the house of the drogo-
man, who was named Youhanna ebn-Temyn. The fire of cha-
rity warmed the breast of this Christian man : he dwelt near the
gate of St. Stephen, on the via dolorosa, J and the garden of his
* Syria. f Doctor. Physician.
J The road by which our Saviour was lea to crucifixion.